Up Until This Moment
by ohsnapcakes
Summary: Future!Fic. Blaine and Kurt haven't seen each other since Junior year of high school, and now all of a sudden they're both attending the same college.
1. Chapter 1

Kurt couldn't believe it was actually happening. He couldn't believe he was standing there, staring out at the beautiful campus. He shifted his weight a little, leaning further out over the railing to look past a tree, only to have his eyes met with even more beauty. Everything about this school was gorgeous; the buildings, the landscaping, the people. And here he was, waiting to hear how he fit into all of it. And boy, were his nerves going crazy. Gazing in wonder at everything was all he could do to keep from freaking out.

Then there came a noise from behind him: someone clearing their throat.

Kurt whirled around to find a thin, older woman staring at him from back inside. Her hair was a light blonde with streaks of gray running tastefully through it. He noted that she was well dressed, her bright blue button-down was tucked perfectly into her knee-length wool skirt, and her heels were tasteful. He smiled nervously at her, and, to his surprise, she returned it warmly.

"You must be Mister Hummel," she started, gesturing to the chair on the other side of the desk. "Please, take a seat."

Kurt obeyed, keeping his eyes on the ground as he moved. "I hope you don't mind that I was on the balcony," he said, wringing his hands nervously as he sat down. "The view was just so beautiful; I forgot that I was in your office." Kurt looked up at her, the scared smile still drawn across his features.

The woman chuckled. "Don't be silly, Mister Hummel. What good is the balcony if no one uses it?"

He let out a sigh of relief. He then made a point to put his hands on his thighs and try to relax. This woman seemed nice; he really shouldn't be so concerned. "You have a gorgeous school."

She smiled and glanced back at the view. "Thank you. Now," She uncrossed her hands and extended one to him. "My name is Mrs. Barr, I run this little school."

Kurt leaned forward and grasped her hand, shaking it carefully. "I'm Kurt Hummel, and I'm honored to meet you." He then let his hand drop back to his lap, where it fiddled with the seam of his pant leg.

"We're very pleased to have you, Kurt. I heard your audition was outstanding, and I don't hear that about first auditions very often. You must be very talented."

Kurt felt the temperature of his cheeks rise a considerable amount; he couldn't keep himself from blushing. Although he'd heard plenty of compliments over the years, hearing this from the head of his dream school was amazing. "Thank you so much," was all he could manage to say.

Mrs. Barr nodded as she pulled a file with his name written on it in big, black letters. She placed it on the desk and opened it to pull out a stack of papers. The paper on top was slid his way, along with a key. "This is your room number, your room key, and a map of the school. Of course, you're in the Freshmen Dorms, which is the building to the left of this one." She slid another, smaller piece of paper towards him. "You paid for a spot in the reserved lot, so this goes on your front windshield. Keep in mind that all guests must park in the visitor lot in the back of the grounds." A large stack came next, stapled together with a cover of blue and yellow, the school colors. "Here is a copy of the student handbook. I'm sure you've already seen it online, but here's a hard copy anyway. And last but not least," she finished, placing the final paper in front of him. "Your class schedule. You'll have a meeting with a counselor within the week, and classes start next Tuesday."

He looked down at the papers, and suddenly it all felt official. This was finally happening. He could feel tears building in his eyes, and he quickly blinked them away. He could cry later, safe in his room. Hopefully he would get there before his roommate. "Thank you, Mrs. Barr," he breathed, looking up at her.

She grinned and put his file away before standing up. "You're very welcome! Now, I have another new student coming in in a few minutes. I trust you can find your room?"

Kurt nodded. He picked up his papers and stood, brushing a bit of hair out of his eyes. As he headed out the door, he glanced back at Mrs. Barr, who was picking up the phone. A small smile crept onto his face. So far so good. Nothing had gone wrong yet. He couldn't say exactly why, but he had expected something to go horribly wrong during his meeting with the head of the school. But, he had managed to keep his composure and not blurt out anything to compromise her opinion of him.

He headed down the hall, sliding his papers into his bag, towards the door. As he exited, the wind seemed to pick up just slightly, tousling his hair. He couldn't help but feel like he was in a movie; the dramatic gust of wind moving his light brown hair as music played in the background, expressing his emotions perfectly.

He was still smiling, except more widely, as he hurried along the pathway towards the Dorms. He would go fetch his car and things once he'd seen his room. Hopefully before he met his roommate, though.

His nerves slowly crept back as he pulled open the door to the building. The hall was spotless, obviously slaved over at night by the cleaners. There were only a few sleepy students wandering them, as most Freshmen either hadn't arrived yet, or were still sleeping. Kurt cleared his throat and tightened the grip on the strap of his bag.

He pulled the paper with his room number on it from his bag, glancing down at the number. "115," he read out loud before slipping it back into the bag. As he reached his room, he fished the key from his pocket, and then took a deep breath. Staring at the door, he hoped and prayed his new roommate wasn't in. He would really like to get to know his surroundings before he had to meet the person he'd be forced to live with.

With another deep breath, he slid the key into the lock and turned. It clicked, and he reached out and turned the handle. The door swung open to reveal a decently sized room. Two beds, on opposite sides of the room occupied a lot of the space. There were two desks, also on opposite sides. There were a couple of lamps and bedside tables as well.

Kurt noticed that only one side of the room was unoccupied by personal belongings. One bed had a brightly colored, but somehow adult, Harry Potter comforter spread across it, with matching pillows. It was neatly made, just like Kurt's bed at home. The desk and bedside table were also obviously in use. His roommate, however, was nowhere in sight. This was good.

He made his way over to the bed and sat his bag on it, noting the plain, boring sheets the school provided. Luckily he'd expected it, and had his favorite bedspreads waiting in his car.

As he continued to scan the room, he noticed something he hadn't seen the first time. And now, as he stared at it, he wondered how he could have missed it. There was a door at the foot of the other bed. Obviously, it lead to the bathroom, but the fact that it was there wasn't what surprised him. The door was open, and the sound of the shower running spilled out of it along with the steam.

Kurt's throat tightened, and he froze. Was fresh out of the shower the way he wanted to meet his new roommate? He debated whether or not he should go fetch his things and give the man more time to get out, or if he should just stay and wait. As he was over-thinking, however, the shower turned off and he heard the door slide open. Now or never!

He grabbed his bag and flew out the door.

Kurt's heart was pounding as he went to his car. He wasn't exactly sure why he was so nervous about meeting this guy. All he knew was that if he were braver he would have begged for a single room. But, Freshmen very rarely get to have their own, so he didn't push the issue.

He sat in his car for a moment, regaining his composure. Then Kurt started it, backed out of the visitor spot, and drove slowly to the reserved lot. This, conveniently, was right next to the Dorms. He turned his car off and stared at the building. With a heavy sigh, he popped the trunk and got out.

Luckily, his dad had agreed to bring the rest of his things to him within the next week, so he only had to haul six bags to his room. Each time he re-entered, his roommate seemed to still be in the bathroom. Which suited Kurt just fine. As he lugged the sixth bag through the door, however, he heard bare footsteps.

A lump formed in Kurt's throat as he shut the door and carried his final bag to his bed. This was it, the moment of truth. First impressions mean everything. He kept his back to the bathroom as he heard the footsteps stop, then the door frame creek.

"Before you get comfortable, I should tell you that I'm gay," came a voice from behind him, a voice that sounded so incredibly familiar that it made Kurt's heart beat speed up. "So if you have a problem with that, you should probably go talk to Mrs. Barr." Kurt's mind raced as he tried to place the voice, which was bringing tightness to his chest. "My last roommate showed up yesterday and flipped out," the voice continued, making Kurt even more and more confused. "He got a new room, so yeah."

The awkward, scared feeling Kurt was experiencing made him so very hesitant to turn around. He wasn't really sure he wanted to see the reason he was in so much pain. He pushed his hair back and sighed, working up the courage.

"Hello?" Came the voice again.

Kurt cleared his throat, forced a smile onto his face, and whipped around. "I'm gay, too, so you don't ha—" But, as he laid eyes on his new roommate, his voice suddenly cut off, his oxygen supply temporarily blocked. He just stood there, completely shocked, taking in the man who stood before him. In just a towel.

Shock covered the other man's face as well, and he uncrossed his arms to put a hand to his chest. "Kurt?"

"I…" Kurt started, barely able to speak. He swallowed, trying to remove the large lump in his throat.

"You remember me, right? It's me, B—"

"Blaine," Kurt finished, taking a step back as his ex-boyfriend stepped towards him. "I didn't know you were going here."

Blaine shrugged and crossed his arms once again, a goofy grin on his face. "Well, you spoke so highly of it."

"Yeah, but you never said you wanted to go here."

"Is this a problem? Like, are you mad or something?"

"No, Blaine, I'm not mad."

"Well, you look mad."

"I'm not mad!"

Blaine put his hands up and chuckled, shaking his head. He was obviously amused, which did make Kurt angry. He turned around and went back into the bathroom, leaving Kurt to just stand there red-faced.

"Well," Blaine voice trailed out from the bathroom. "I think this is pretty freaking awesome. None of that awkward getting-to-know-your-roommate shit."

Kurt couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. The fact that Blaine didn't think this was awkward was both frustrating and hilarious. Leave it to Blaine Anderson to be comfortable in the most awkward situation ever. On his own once again, Kurt was able to regain a little bit of his composure. He cleared his throat again and was just getting his breathing back to normal when Blaine re-entered the room, wearing clothes this time.

Kurt watched him carefully as he walked to his bed and sat down with his legs crossed. He rested his elbows on his knees and put his chin in his hands. Kurt hesitantly sat down on his own bed, one ankle hooked into the other, his hands folded on his lap. "So…" He breathed, looking anywhere but at Blaine.

"So," Blaine repeated, his eyes focused on Kurt's face. "How have you been?"

Kurt sighed and finally looked Blaine in the eye. "Up until this moment, pretty good."


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep had not come easy to Kurt that first night. He spent a good two hours just staring at Blaine's sleeping figure in the dark, thousands of thoughts and emotions running through his head. Finally, around four AM, he passed out with his head still resting in his hand, propped up by his elbow.

Despite only being five hours from when he fell asleep, Kurt was beginning to stir around nine. For a moment he just laid there on his stomach with his face buried in his pillow, his brain still in groggy-dream-mode. The events of the previous day yet to reenter his thoughts. He shifted his weight a little, turning slightly onto his side, and let out a little groan.

"Good morning, sleepy-head!"

Blaine's voice jarred Kurt's pleasant thoughts and pulled him into reality. He quickly rolled onto his back and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Blaine!" he exclaimed, resting his eyes on his roommate. "I—Ugh! Just don't—don't look at me for a second!"

Blaine chuckled as he sipped his coffee and watched Kurt's every move as he got out of bed.

"Hey," Blaine started, pointing with his free hand at Kurt's pajama pants. "Didn't I give those to you?"

Kurt looked down at his pants, and horror rolled through his body. Oh god, Blaine was right. How could he have forgotten? He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yes, Blaine, you did."

"That's so cool that you still have them!"

Kurt rolled his eyes and went to one of his bags to look for an outfit for the day.

"I don't think you've been in the bathroom yet," Blaine was saying as Kurt searched through his clothes. "But the dressers and the closet are in there." Kurt felt him close the gap between them. He was now right behind him. "All of your stuff should fit."

"Okay," was all Kurt said before turning around, clothes in hand. As he did so, he came face to face with Blaine, who was roughly five inches from him. "Dear god!" he exclaimed, putting a hand to his chest. "Blaine!" Kurt shoved him backwards slightly in anger. Blaine must have taken it as a joking gesture, because he giggled as he stumbled back. Kurt grabbed his phone and went into the bathroom. "There's something wrong with you," he said over his shoulder as he closed the door.

Alone in the bathroom, he examined his reflection. "You look awful, Mister Hummel," he said to himself as he turned around to turn the shower on. He put a hand under the water to test the temperature before taking off his clothes and getting in. The hot water felt good on his tired body, and he just stood there for a moment, letting his muscles relax. What an awful way to wake up.

And the morning was about to get worse. Kurt realized too late that he'd forgotten to grab his shower stuff. With a heavy sigh, he opened the shower.

"Blaine?"

"Yes?"

"Can you do me a favor, please?"

There was a moment of silence, and then the bathroom door opened and Blaine's head popped in. "What is it?"

Kurt quickly pulled the shower curtain in front of his body, glaring daggers at his roommate. "Blaine!"

"What? I could barely hear you."

"You could have at least warned me before you came barging in!"

"Oh, hush. I didn't see anything. What favor?"

Kurt sighed and shook his head. "Can you get me my toiletries bag, please? It's the smallest one."

Blaine's head disappeared, and ten seconds later Kurt's bag appeared in its place. "Thank you." He took it and closed the curtain as Blaine shut the door.

Kurt's shower was slow, and he stayed in until the water began to get cold. As the hot started to fade, he shut it off and stood there for a second before reaching for his towel. He rubbed it over his hair, then his body, and then stepped out onto the bath mat. As he pulled his clothes on, he listened carefully for signs that Blaine was still in the room. He couldn't hear anything, so when he finished dressing, he opened the door to check. Sure enough, his roommate was nowhere to be found.

A sigh of relief escaped him. Kurt picked up his phone and dialed quickly, putting it on speaker phone and sitting it on the counter. He opened his toiletries bag and began his face routine as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mercedes."

"Kurt! Why didn't you call me yesterday?"

"I'm sorry, hun. I'm pretty sure you'll forgive me when I tell you why."

"I'm listening."

"I met my roommate. Oh god, Mercedes, you'll never guess who it is!"

"Who? Is it Justin Bieber?"

"What? Why would he be my roommate?"

"I don't know! You said 'you'll never guess', so I thought I'd pick someone I would never guess."

"Okay. Anyway. No, it's not Bieber. It's…ugh…It's Blaine."

Silence.

"Mercedes?"

"WHAT THE FUCK, KURT?"

"That was pretty much my reaction as well."

"Girl, what are you gonna do?"

"Try and survive."

"Hey, you know, seconds chances don't come very often, Kurt."

"Mercedes Jones! This is NOT a second chance! This is a disaster! He is invading my dream, and making it a nightmare!"

"Calm down, honey. It's not the end of the world."

"So you say."

"Oh, Kurt. Sometimes I feel like your life could be a TV show."

"You and me both, sister. I hear keys, I gotta go. I love you, I'll text you later."

"Love you!"

Just as Kurt pressed the end button, the door swung open and Blaine strode through. Kurt pretended not to notice and continued rubbing moisturizer into his skin. He leaned in closer to the mirror and tried to ignore the amazing scent that Blaine happened to be wearing.

The wonderful smell got stronger as he came towards the bathroom, his eyes on Kurt. "Ah! You're out!"

Kurt glanced sideways at him, trying to make it seem like he just now noticed that he was back. "Hello, Blaine."

Blaine smiled and crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. Kurt watched him carefully as he put his things back into the bag and sat it next to the sink. Blaine took a step forward and put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I think we should go to lunch today so we can catch up." He squeezed lightly before letting go. "What do you think?"

"I think I want to stay in the room today and get my stuff organized."

"Okay then," Blaine said, not even missing a beat. "I'll order something and we'll eat in here and catch up!"

Before Kurt could argue, Blaine was walking away. He sighed and shook his head. He really couldn't understand how Blaine could be so oblivious to the awkwardness of this situation. He had expected him to be a little aloof about the whole thing, but not to the point where he acted like they had been friends the whole time they weren't talking.

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and exited the bathroom. Blaine was sitting on his bed, flipping through the phone book. Kurt crossed the room and laid down on his own bed, his arms still crossed. When he glanced at Blaine, he was staring right at him, that stupid grin on his face.

"Why are you staring at me?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did I miss a spot or something?"

Blaine shook his head and went back to the phone book. "No, I was just thinking about how freaking cool it is that we ended up roommates."

Kurt scoffed and slid his hands under his head. "Yeah. Soooo freaking cool."


	3. Chapter 3

There was a horrible, painful feeling of want burning through Kurt as he walked beside his roommate. He couldn't tell you why, but he desperately wanted to reach out and take Blaine's hand. This want was met with anger. He was so angry that he couldn't keep himself from wanting to just fall back into it. He knew he was mad at Blaine, mad because this boy from his past was now invading his dream. Invading his future! Kurt thought he had put Blaine behind him. He had put the boy out of his mind when Blaine transferred back to Dalton, and he hadn't really intended to think much of him ever again. But now here he was, two years later. And Kurt still wanted to hold his damn hand.

"Where are we going?" Kurt asked, glancing around as they crossed a street.

"This little coffee shop I found my first day here." Blaine looked over at Kurt and smiled warmly. "Their drinks are very similar to the place we used to go, so it made me think of you."

Kurt groaned and rolled his eyes. Maybe he should have stuck with his original plan, and stayed in the room. He should have known Blaine would get sentimental.

As they rounded a corner, a small coffee shop came into view. Kurt couldn't keep himself from smiling. He hadn't had coffee since the morning of his arrival, and he was definitely craving.

Blaine opened the door and held it for Kurt, gesturing him inside. Kurt groaned again as he entered. "Stop that," he ordered.

When they approached the counter, Blaine immediately spoke. "Medium Drip for me, and a Grande Nonfat Mocha for him."

Kurt's mouth fell open, and he stared at Blaine as the woman pushed buttons on the register. He REMEMBERED his coffee order? No, he couldn't have Blaine's little plan work out so well. He just couldn't.

"No," Kurt blurted, moving his gaze to the menu. "I'll have a Medium White Mocha."

He looked over at Blaine, who was now staring at him. One eyebrow was cocked in confusion.

"You changed your coffee order?"

"It's been two years, Blaine."

"Yeah, but—"

"Is it really that big of a deal?"

Kurt looked up the find the woman staring at them. He smiled and pulled out his wallet.

"Let me pay for it," Blaine offered, opening his own wallet. Kurt shook his head and retrieved his debit card.

"You pay for yours, and I'll pay for mine." He handed her his card and watched Blaine as she ran it. Kurt wondered if that look on Blaine's face was him finally realizing how much all of this bothered him. The woman handed his card back, along with a receipt, then took Blaine's.

Once they had their coffee, Blaine led them to a window seat. They sat across from each other, and Kurt kept his eyes on the street outside as he spoke.

"I thought we were going to lunch, not coffee," Kurt commented, taking a sip.

"Lunch is next," Blaine answered. He was staring at Kurt. His face was missing that ridiculous grin, and when Kurt glanced at him, he noticed that he was fidgeting.

"Are you okay?" Kurt raised an eyebrow and took another drink.

Blaine looked down at the table. "You've changed," he replied, his voice low. Kurt scoffed and shook his head. "Seriously, you have. You used to have a sense of humor."

"My sense of humor is still intact, Blaine."

"The old Kurt would have found us being roommates funny."

"The old Kurt was your boyfriend. New Kurt is your EX-boyfriend." Kurt shrugged. "I don't see how you can't see the difference."

Blaine returned his shrug. "I guess I thought you'd put the past behind you, like I did."

That last comment caused Kurt to turn his gaze to Blaine. "How can you just do that, anyway?"

"Do what?"

"Put what I did to you behind you and act all buddy-buddy."

Blaine face looked pained for a half of a second, and then he shrugged. "When we had that fight, and you told me you couldn't handle being with me, I was confused." He looked up at Kurt. "I was angry and hurt, which is why I transferred back to Dalton. I spent a LONG time hating you, Kurt," he admitted, reaching out and touching Kurt's hand.

Kurt's first instinct was to take Blaine's hand in his. Instead, though, he pulled away. "So what changed?"

"I realized that there was no point in holding a grudge." Blaine sighed and fidgeted with his coffee cup. "I loved you, Kurt. I finally realized that I probably loved you more than you loved me. I have a tendency to smother, and you couldn't handle it. So it was entirely my fault, not yours."

Blaine looked so incredibly sad; part of Kurt wanted to just hug him. But he just sat there and sipped his coffee.

"Hmm," was all his said in response.

"So," Blaine continued, shaking his head. His curls, which were free of the gel Kurt was used to, and slightly longer, bounced back and forth. "I figure this is my second chance."

There it was again. _Second Chance._

"Second chance for what?"

"To be your friend."

Kurt's emotions suddenly began a war inside him. Half of him was relieved. The last thing he needed right now was romance, especially with Blaine Anderson. The other half of Kurt was disappointed. He tried to ignore that half.

"We're roommates, Blaine. I don't know if we're friends again yet."

Blaine let out a heavy sigh, obviously bothered by this statement. But the hurt look on his face only lasted for a moment, and was quickly replaced by that stupid smile. "We're friends," he said, shrugging and picking up his coffee cup. "You'll figure that out eventually."

It was Kurt's turn to sigh. Blaine had always been so good at bouncing between serious and goofy. Back in the day, it was entertaining to Kurt. Now, though, it was kind of annoying.

Goofy Blaine was cute, and Kurt didn't want him to be cute. Cute Blaine made him want to hold his hand. Cute Blaine made him want to tear down all his walls. But Kurt didn't want his walls gone; he wanted to keep himself hidden. Hidden, he was safe.

"So," Blaine started, pulling Kurt out of his thoughts. "How is your family doing? Did Finn and Rachel finally tie the knot?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, they broke up last year."

Blaine looked genuinely sad at this news. "Oh no!" He put a hand on his chest. "They were an _adorable_ couple! What happened?"

"Rachel happened. She went to New York to audition for Broadway, and we haven't heard from her since."

"Well, sad for Finn, but good for Rachel. I always knew she'd get to Broadway."

"Yeah. Finn was pretty broken up, but I always knew it would happen that way." Kurt took a drink of his coffee and watched the people go by outside. "My dad and Carole should be coming up tomorrow, so I guess you'll see how they're doing then."

"Oh yay!" Blaine clapped his hands in excitement. "I haven't talked to Carole in like a year!"

Kurt almost spit his coffee all over his roommate. He choked on the sip he'd just taken and sputtered for a moment before looking up Blaine. "You talked to her for _a year_ after we broke up?"

"Well, yeah," Blaine said, his tone confused. "You didn't know? She's the one who suggested I come here."

Kurt coughed some more. "What?" Anger was back as his main emotion. Betrayed by his own family! "What the hell did you two talk about?"

Blaine was so obviously amused by Kurt's anger. "At first, you," he said, chuckling. "Then we just sort of became friends and you kind of stopped coming into the conversation."

"Friends," Kurt repeated, glaring at Blaine. "You and my step mother were _friends_."

Blaine nodded and smiled widely.

"Well," Kurt said, picking up his coffee and making a face. "She never mentioned it, so you must not have been too good of friends."

This comment was obviously meant to be hurtful, but Blaine just laughed at it and shook his head. Oh, great, it was back to aloof Blaine. Kurt had a love/hate relationship with this attitude. On the one hand, it was really annoying to have his well-timed and sometimes well-thought-out stabs tossed aside by a chuckle. On the other hand, it made it really easy to hate Blaine. Which made it really easy to keep his walls intact.

Blaine tipped his head back and took the last drink of his coffee. "Are you almost done with yours?"

Kurt shook his cup back and forth, feeling the coffee slush around. With a sigh, he took his last drink.

"Alright!" Blaine exclaimed, standing up. "Lunch time!"

Kurt stood up as well, but he was shaking his head. "I think maybe I should go back to the room now."

Blaine laughed and took Kurt's cup to throw away with his own. "Nonsense!" He linked his arm into Kurt's. "You're coming to lunch with me, whether you like it or not!"

Kurt yanked his arm away from Blaine. He huffed and straightened his jacket as he exited the coffee shop.

Blaine rushed after him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he caught up on the sidewalk. Kurt brushed his hand off before turning to face him.

"Blaine, stop touching me," he warned, pointing a finger in Blaine's face. "I will come to lunch with you, but if you touch me again I swear I will shave those gorgeous curls off of you while you sleep tonight."

Blaine grinned and pulled his fingers through his curls. "Aw, you think my hair is gorgeous?"

"Shut up."


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt was thankful to wake up to the sound of is phone ringing, and not Blaine's voice. He reached sleepily onto his nightstand and groped for his phone. When he finally wrapped his fingers around it, his ringtone was almost finished. So he quickly put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kurt. Did I wake you?"

Kurt groaned and rolled unto his back, glancing at the clock. It was only seven. "Yes, Dad, you did."

"Oh! Well, I'm sorry. Want me to call back later?"

"No." He looked over at Blaine, who was still snoozing soundly, sprawled out across his bed. "I'm awake now. What's up?"

"Just wanted to make sure we're still on for today."

"Of course we are," Kurt answered, rubbing his eyes. "Dad, I've got a surprise for you."

"Oh, Finn wanted to know if he could come along. He misses you, and you know how he's been since Rachel left."

"Of course he can come. But, Dad, did you hear what I said?"

"About what?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"Oh? What is it?"

Kurt sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "My roommate. You've met him already."

"Oh yeah?" Burt sounded a bit distracted. "Who is it?"

"It's Blaine, Dad."

"Who?"

"Blaine, Dad. Remember, from high school?"

"Oh, the kid from that private school?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Didn't you two date?"

"Yes, we did."

"Huh. Well, that's awkward."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, I'll have Finn text you when we head out. I love you, son."

"Love you, too, Dad."

As they hung up, Kurt found himself not terribly surprised with his father's reaction. Although Kurt shared most things with his dad, relationship stuff was something he usually went to Carole for. So Burt hadn't really been informed of what happened between Kurt and Blaine.

Speaking of Blaine, he was beginning to stir in his bed. Kurt could tell that he was still a ways from actually waking up, but he shoved his covers off anyway.

As he got out of bed, he watched Blaine. He was sleeping in only a pair of plaid pajama pants, his upper body bare. Kurt then looked down at his own sleeping attire: blue pants and a black shirt. He felt so conservative compared to his half-naked roommate.

As Kurt was watching him, Blaine rolled over onto his back. He couldn't help it, Kurt's eyes instantly went to his abdomen.

Ugh. Blaine had gotten even more fit since high school. Kurt sighed and shook his head in an attempt to rid it of the thoughts that were currently floating around.

"Focus on school, Kurt," he said to himself, walking into the bathroom.

As he got dressed and did his morning routine, he listened carefully for signs of Blaine waking. But even as he finished his hair, he heard nothing.

When he came out of the bathroom, Blaine was in the exact same position, but his eyes were open.

This, of course, was startling for Kurt, because his eyes went to Blaine's torso _before_ his face. When he noticed that his roommate was watching him, he tried to pretend he hadn't been checking him out.

"Good morning," Kurt greeted.

"Hello!" Blaine sat up and grinned. "You're up early."

"My dad called," Kurt explained.

"Oh, are they on their way?"

"No, not yet. Finn's going to text me when they head out."

"Oh, Finn's coming? Sweet!"

Kurt couldn't help but laugh. Blaine had this annoying but hilarious way of being excited about everything. Back when they were dating, he used to get excited about the silliest things. Kurt remembered, he would jump up and down about a movie night with the girls, who even just about going to dinner.

Blaine kicked his covers off of his feet and swung his legs around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was looking at Kurt with those eyes, and Kurt couldn't keep himself from staring back. There was this moment, where everything that had happened between them seemed to melt away, and all Kurt could think about was how beautiful this boy was. The corner of Blaine's mouth curled up in a small smile, and Kurt's copied the motion.

A small ping sound tore Kurt's eyes away from his roommate's. He fished his phone out of his pocket.

"It's Finn," he said quietly as he wrote a reply. "They're on their way now."

"Great!" Blaine pushed off of the bed to stand. He turned his back to Kurt and stretched. Kurt's eyes traveled up and down Blaine's body as his muscles flexed and then relaxed. As much as he hated to admit it, he still found Blaine insanely attractive.

But he needed to be admired from a distance this time.

Kurt cleared his throat and slid his phone back into his pocket.

"You should probably get dressed. It doesn't take as long as you'd think to get out here."

Blaine nodded cheerfully and bounced off into the bathroom.

Instead of coming back into the room fully clothed, like Kurt had expected, Blaine simply returned with his clothes for the day in hand. Kurt watched him as he sat them down on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Um, changing?" Blaine answered, dropping his pajama pants to the floor.

Kurt's cheeks suddenly became a very bright shade of red, and he quickly put his hand in front of his eyes. "Blaine!"

Blaine looked up at Kurt and let out a huge laugh. Kurt could feel him getting closer to him, and suddenly Blaine was prying his hand away from his face. When he finally succeeded in uncovering Kurt's eyes, Kurt saw that he was still in his boxers.

"Blaine, really! Put some clothes on!"

"Oh, come on," Blaine breathed, pushing Kurt's shoulder lightly. "It's no different than if I were wearing swim shorts." He put his arms out at his sides and shrugged before turning around. "Besides," he said over his shoulder. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

Kurt stood there stunned for a moment. Yes, he had seen Blaine in his boxers before. A few times, actually. That, to Blaine's dismay, had been as far as they'd ever gotten. That didn't change the fact that this was just slightly awkward.

The time spent between then and when Kurt's family arrived was spent fairly silently. Finally, a knock came at the door.

Before Kurt could get to it, though, Blaine rushed to the door and flung it open.

"Hey!" Blaine shouted, the smile on his face even stupider than ever.

Kurt walked up behind him to see their faces. Carole looked way too excited, Burt didn't really look any different than normal…And Finn looked very, very confused.

"Blaine!" Carole greeted, throwing her arms around him.

"Hey, son," Burt said, looking past Blaine and nodding to Kurt.

"Wait," Finn blurted. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh!" Blaine responded, letting go of Carole, who pushed passed to hug Kurt. "Kurt didn't tell you? I'm his roommate."

"Why?" Finn asked, looking even more confused as they all came into the room.

Kurt shut the door behind them and put a hand on his brother's back. "I've been asking myself that since day one."

Kurt's response obviously didn't make Finn any less confused, because his expression didn't change.

They all took seats, and Blaine, for reasons Kurt could not fathom, decided it was a good idea to sit on Kurt's bed with him. Incredibly close.

"So," Blaine started, throwing one knee over the other. "How have you guys been?"

"Oh, we've been great!" Carole said, putting her hand on Burt's knee and squeezing. "We're renewing our vows in two months!"

"Ohmygosh! That's amazing, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you! How have you been, Blaine?"

"Oh, you know, ju—"

"I'm sorry," Finn interrupted, putting a hand up. "I thought we were here to visit _Kurt _and see how _Kurt_ is doing. Not Blaine."

Everyone turned their heads to look at Finn, who was sitting at Kurt's desk still looking confused, but also now a bit angry.

"Finn, it's okay," Kurt said quietly. "I don't mind."

"You should, though." Finn stood up and grabbed Kurt's arm, leading him into the bathroom. "Why are you letting this happen?" His voice was low and quiet.

"It's not that big of a deal."

"But, look at him, he's so…intense. It's a little scary, Kurt."

Kurt smiled warmly and reached up to put a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Thank you for being concerned, but I can handle Blaine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I'm sooo sorry this took so long to get up. I love you and thank you for the wonderful feedback! I promise I'll be updating more often now.**

"You know, Finn," Kurt started, putting his coffee cup down onto the table. "You really didn't have to stay. You know a bus ticket back is going to cost you way more than it's worth."

Finn licked his lips and shook his head, his eyes on Kurt's. "I didn't feel right leaving you there alone with Blaine." He brought his own coffee cup to his lips and took a drink. "Besides, ever since I moved back home all I do when I'm not working is sit around and mope."

Kurt frowned and tilted his head to the side. He reached out and put a hand on his brother's, giving it a quick squeeze. "Like I said before, I can handle Blaine," Kurt assured him. He squeezed one more time before letting go. "And Finn, we all knew the day would come when Rachel would leave everyone behind. It's what she was born to do."

"I just never thought she'd leave _me_ behind."

"Well, you didn't tell her about your dream school, did you?" Kurt asked. Finn shook his head. "Then you'll probably never run into her again!"

"Yeah, about this whole thing." Finn took another drink and eyed Kurt. "Don't you think it's a little sketchy that Blaine would just _happen_ to decide to go to the same school?"

"Oh," Kurt waved his hand at Finn and shook his head. "No, that one is Carole's fault."

"What do you mean?"

"See, I told Blaine about this place, but that was way in the beginning of our relationship. Apparently, he and Carole stayed buddy-buddy for like a year after we broke up. _She's_ the one who encouraged him to apply."

"Are you serious?" Finn asked, his face somewhere between angry and confused. "Why would she do that?"

"Oh, you know her. Hopeless romantic, I'm sure she's still pulling for Klaine." Kurt chuckled and sipped his coffee, which happened to be his old order. He figured since Blaine wasn't here it would be safe.

Kurt watched Finn fiddle with his coffee and cup and smiled. In the past, things between them had been rocky at best. But after Burt and Carole got married Finn had turned into his greatest friend. And after Rachel left, Finn had really thrown himself into brother mode. Now he was constantly curious of Kurt's relationships and friends and wanted to know what he was doing all of the time.

"I don't like it," Finn finally said, looking up from his cup to his brother's face. "I think Blaine has plans and I don't like how he's doing things. It's sneaky and I don't trust him."

"I'm not exactly happy about it either, Finn." Kurt shook his head again. "I spent most of the first night debating asking for a room change."

"Why the hell didn't you?"

"Because," He paused for dramatic effect. "I can't keep running from things that make me uncomfortable. I ran once, I'm not doing it again."

Finn looked around for a second, and then leaned forward over the table. "You're not going to get back together with him, are you?" His voice was worried, and his eyes even more so.

Kurt couldn't keep himself from laughing. He had kind of expected Finn to misinterpret what he'd said. He shook his head quickly. "Of course not, Finn. Don't be silly. I just can't run from this problem, I have to suck it up and take it like a man."

Finn almost spit his coffee all over Kurt. He sputtered and choked for a second, holding his hand over his mouth. When he could speak, he said "Kurt, please don't use those phrases. Please. You're killing me."

A huge laugh escaped Kurt, and he put his head down on the table, his hands over his mouth. His whole body was shaking with laughter, and he was certain some people were staring. But he didn't care. This was the first time since coming to the school that he'd _really_ laughed, and we was going to enjoy it.

After a moment of Kurt just letting lose, he could hear Finn across the table beginning to chuckle. Kurt lifted his head a little to peek at him. Finn was grinning widely, and upon seeing Kurt's face he began to really laugh.

So the two of them just sat there for a few moments, their laughter, loud and obnoxious, filling the small shop. People were definitely staring at this point.

When they finally calmed down, Kurt smiled at his brother. "Thank you, Finn."

Finn returned the smile. "No, thank you. I haven't had anyone to laugh with since you left. I miss you."

Kurt put a hand over his heart. "I miss you, too. Hey, maybe you should apply here!"

Finn chuckled and shook his head before finishing off his coffee. "This isn't for me, Kurt. Music is your dream. I have fun singing and trying to dance, and playing the drums and everything…But I'm better off working at Burt's shop and finding a girl to have a family with."

Kurt knew Finn was right, but he couldn't help feeling sad. His brother had a lot of talent, and he really wanted something bigger for him than just working on cars. But he knew Finn would be content taking over his dad's shop. He just wished he could convince him that he could do more. Maybe he could find him a nice girl who would convince him!

As Kurt was going through his list of girl friends in his head, Finn got up and threw his cup into the trash. When he sat back down, he rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window.

"I should probably head out soon,"

"What! I thought you were staying the night! I had this big, fun day planned for us tomorrow!"

The boys turned their head quickly to see Blaine standing in line near them.

Finn scowled at him and shook his head. "As much as I'd _love_ to hang out with you, Blaine, I have to get home."

"Really?" Blaine smiled lightly at Finn. "I honestly thought you didn't like me, Finn."

"Dude," Finn blurted, turning sharply to fully face Blaine. His face was dripping with anger, and he had his hands curled into fists. "I _don't_ like you!" Finn stood up and took a step towards Blaine.

Blaine took a small step back and put his hands in the air.

"Finn," Kurt tried to interrupt, standing up as well.

"No, Kurt, stay out of this!" Finn stepped closer to Blaine again and narrowed his eyes. "I don't appreciate you coming back into my brother's life and being so damn…"

"Friendly?" Blaine offered.

Finn was fuming at his point. He took hold of Blaine's jacket with both hands and pulled his face closer. "Get a room transfer, and stop making his life so miserable."

"Finn!" Kurt yelled, but he was ignored.

"Or what, Finn?" Blaine finally spat back, his face curled into the angriest expression Kurt had ever seen on him.

Finn let out an aggravated groan and shoved Blaine against the wall, knocking the air out of him. As Blaine was collecting his breath, he sneered up at Finn.

"I hope this doesn't make you feel like you've accomplished something," Blaine commented as Finn let go of his jacket. He looked over at the barista, who was just standing there slack-jawed, just like the rest of the customers. "All you've done is a) stick your nose in other people's business, and b) assault someone quite a bit smaller than you. So good job."

That did it. Finn cocked back his arm and swung. As his fist made contact with Blaine's jaw, Kurt felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion. A few people, including him, gasped as the unexpected punch caused Blaine to crumble to the floor.

"I'll call you when I get home, Kurt," Finn muttered as he left the shop.

For a moment, Kurt just stood there with the other people, staring at Blaine. His roommate was sitting on the floor, his head in his hands. He looked almost limp.

As people started to speak again, mostly about whether they should call the police or not, Kurt slowly made his way to Blaine.

He kneeled down in front of him. "You okay?"

When Blaine looked up, his eyes were wet. "I'm sorry, Kurt."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

Kurt held out his hand to help Blaine up, but he waved it off as he leaned his head against the wall.

"I'm a little dizzy. Can I sit here for a second?"

"Of course. I'll go talk to the barista."

Kurt stood up and, hesitantly, walked to the counter. The woman behind it was staring at Blaine as she spoke.

"Is he okay?"

"He will be. I'm so sorry about all of this. My brother, I don't even know, snapped I guess?"

"Is anything broken?"

Kurt glanced back at Blaine. "I don't think so."

"I meant in the store." She was looking at Kurt now.

"Oh." They both looked around. "No, he managed to avoid everything."

"Then don't worry about it. Just, I'm supposed to tell you not to come back. So…don't."

Kurt nodded, and then turned around and walked back to Blaine. He kneeled down again and put a hand on his roommate's shoulder.

"Come on, let's go home."

Blaine took Kurt's hand and allowed him to help him up. Kurt didn't protest when he didn't let go as they walked out of the shop. It wasn't that this incident had made him want to be with Blaine again or anything, though. He simply knew that Blaine was feeling pretty low, and didn't mind being there to comfort him. Even if it meant walking hand in hand.

It was silent for a good half of their walk home, until Blaine let go of Kurt's hand. Kurt looked down at his empty hand and felt the warmth Blaine's had brought fading from it. He looked up at Blaine as he spoke.

"I'm sorry about Finn, Blaine."

Blaine put his hands in his pockets and shrugged, keeping his eyes on the ground. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," Kurt argued. "You know I don't condone hurting people as a method of getting one's point across."

"I did provoke him. I would have punched me, too."

"I don't care if you'd said 'Please, Finn, punch me', he shouldn't have taken it that far. If ever speak to him again, he'll be getting an ear full."

Blaine laughed and finally looked up. Kurt could see a bruise developing on his jaw line, and he frowned at the sight. Blaine's perfect face would be tainted by a big ugly bruise for a couple of weeks now, thanks to Finn. He shook his head in frustration. How could Finn do that? How could he go off like that? Sure, Kurt liked the whole protective brother thing he had going, but not if it meant punching people in coffee shops. _That_ he would not tolerate!

"Maybe I should get a room transfer."

"No!" Kurt exclaimed, rushing to Blaine's side and grabbing his arm. "Although that would make my life _infinitely _easier, I don't want you to leave."

A tiny smirk grew on Blaine's face as he looked sideways at Kurt. "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because, I'm through taking the easy way out of things. You and I will remain roommates."

"And friends?"

Kurt laughed. "And friends."

They reached the school shortly after, and headed to their room. Kurt walked behind Blaine through the door and watched him as he went into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

"How does it feel?" Kurt asked, going to the mini-fridge and pulling out an ice try.

"It hurts like hell. I haven't been punched since high school."

Kurt sighed and walked past him into the closet. He pulled open his scarf drawer and rifled through it for a moment before pulling out a plaid scarf. Blaine watched him carefully as he lay it out on the counter and held the tray upside-down over it.

"You're not gonna use that for the ice, are you?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

"You love your scarves, Kurt."

"I…" Kurt hesitated as _I love you more_ almost slipped out of his mouth. He cleared his throat and twisted the tray, dropping the ice onto the plaid material. "Water won't kill it."

He wrapped the ice up and held it out to Blaine, who just stood there staring at him. Kurt sighed and put a hand on the back of Blaine's neck for support, then pressed the ice to his jaw. Blaine smiled and put his hand over Kurt's.

"Hopefully we can keep it from swelling, and just cover the bruise with some makeup. Wouldn't want your handsome face ruined."


End file.
